Very Overweight Horse. What to do??????

Blaise

Blaise

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Hi guys, got a bit of a dilemma about an overweight welsh cob i've been riding lately. He's one of my best friends horse, she's had him for years now and has always been a bit on the chunky side, but i've noticed he's really put a lot on over the winter. His crest has always been a bit wobbly but it's solid now and he's laying down fat deposits on his neck. There's a quite a deep gutter running along his hindquarters and ribs cant be felt at all now. He was also on steroids a few months ago which didnt help. We've said jokingly to his owner lots of times before that she really should cut down on his feeds as he's looking a bit porky but he's really put a lot on since then, and she gets a bit funny about us telling her. I'm worried that he's going to be a prime candidate for laminitis this year and really dont want to see him end up like this. What would you do? Is there any way we could tell her tactfully what she's doing as i'm not very good at the whole tact thing. Have tried telling her bluntly before but she goes off in a bit of a huff and stops talking to us for days, and still feeds the poor horse!
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Refer her to the WHW website which has details re how to condition score your horse, the dangers of overweight horses etc.

Or get a vet or another professional on the yard to tell her. Sometimes people just simply won't take it from those close to them for some bizarre reason

If he's that fat now you are damned right to be worried, she really does need to sit up and take notice. And now before it's too late unfortunately.
 
The horse is a candidate for laminitis NOW. Horse's can get laminitis at any time of year. Mine came to me in December with it.
Please be blunt again...tell her it will cost her a fortune should he get laminitis. Tell her it is agony and actually she is being cruel.
Its not just lami he is at risk of...his heart will be under strain as will his joints.


What is she feeding him?
If you can't stop her feeding him then try to get her to swap to a feed that is high fibre with no ceral or mollasses and to soak his hay. Something like Fast Fibre would be good.

Tell her she will have much more fun on him if he is the correct weight as he will be fitter and more energetic
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I don't think you should bother being tactful. If she can't see that he is obese then she needs telling out right. Cruel to be kind and all that. It is seen as cruelty, just as bad as under feeding.
 
I think you need to be blunt. My friend lost her beloved section D two years ago. he was always a bit larger than I would have liked but that year he really piled on the weight as he wasn't getting the exercise he used to. needless to say he got Laminitis really bad and in the end there was nothing that could be done for him.

perhaps print off some articles on condition scoring and laminitis and scare present her with the harsh reality. IMO this is the perfect time of year for this horse to loose some weight and it CAN be done without starving it!! Leave it without a rug on - or with just a rainsheet, feed well soaked hay and just a token bucket feed of hi-fi lite and high fibre cubes and of course, gentle exercise at walk and trot on good ground - avoiding trotting on roads...
 
make some fun out of it...but ensure that you tell her of the serious side of this. take a photo of the horse, and sponsor him a small amount for every kilo he loses (use a weigh tape). get everyone to sponsor the horse/owner. with the money raised on reaching his target weight, you can reward the owner and yourselves as you have supported her, with a yard ride/picnic/party/get together, whatever you like. you can even make him slimmer of the yard...x
 
It is a very difficult situation, but after witnessing the most horrific case of laminitis last year with a friends horse, which died, i would have to have a serious conversation about it with the owner. If you can educate the owner a little and not just TELL her what you think, that might go down better????? Good Luck x
 
Thanks for all of your advice guys. Had a good chat with her and found out lots of info on condition scoring, ideal weights etc... and presented it to her. It also helped that a family member of hers came up on sunday and said "that cant be your horse, it's way to big. He looks like a rhino!" He hadnt seen him for a while and i think this shocked my friend into believing us. He's now on a proper exercise program, halved his feed and only has hi-fi lite with the view of putting him onto a handful of happy hoof when worked, and has dropped from a MW T/O rug to a LW, and hopefully taking it off all together very soon as he's a very hairy Welsh D who's only out for a few hours a day and doesn't really need one at all in milder weather like this. (It's mild here anyway
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) We've just got to get her to stick to it now.
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Phew. Keep a very close eye on him and make sure she doesn't lapse into giving him extra rations. You have probably just saved this horse's life. No joke and well done you - what a fantastic friend to her.
 
Please get her to speak to an equine nutritionist to ensure that the horse is having the correct feed and quantities. Cutting down too much on the amount of forage can course even more problems.
 
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